Is God working on you?
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”
Ephesians 1:3 English Standard Version (ESV)
Christianity is all about a relationship with God that you can experience right now. It’s not just pie in the sky when you die, it’s steak on the plate while you wait! Christianity is not an intellectual exercise but a present-tense reality and a tangible experience. While we as believers live in this present-tense reality we need to remember that it is rooted in what Jesus has done for us – it’s past-tense! We presently live out presently that which Jesus has formerly accomplished for us through His finished work.
These two verses show us that while Christianity is a present-tense experience, it is rooted in what Jesus has done for us more than two thousand years ago. “We are His workmanship, created…” – that’s all describing something that has happened. “…which God prepared beforehand…” – again, it’s something that has already taken place. “Blessed be the God… who has blessed us…” is describing something that has already taken place – we are not trying to obtain blessing because we are blessed.
Many believers are attempting to obtain what is already ours and accomplish what is already done. You cannot break through into a place where you already inhabit. You cannot become that which you already are. You cannot obtain that which is already yours. The gospel is not good prophecy – a revealing of what could be, or what you should aspire to become or obtain, rather the gospel, by definition, is good news – that means that it is a revealing of what is. We’re not trying to become something, but rather we are discovering who we now are since we have received Jesus. The Christian life isn’t about becoming, it’s about discovering.
Many of us like to excuse our fruitlessness and even failure by saying things like, “God is still working on me!” We make a mistake and mess up, and instead of taking responsibility for our actions, we blame God by saying that “God is still working on me…” or in other words, “God, it’s Your fault I’m in this mess because you haven’t made me perfect, yet.” The truth is that while you may make mistakes and while you may not be mature just yet, God is not working on you. He’s not the reason for your imperfections, fruitlessness and immaturity. God is done working on you, and you are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). Maturity is your responsibility, not God’s. God has given you a perfect and complete spirit that is full of Him. You’re full of Jesus and full of salvation! Now, you need to work out (of you) what He has already worked in you (Philippians 2:12). You’re not trying to get the fruit of the Spirit because the fruit is a natural by-product of having Jesus in you (Galatians 5:22). You need to recognize what you have (Philemon 1:6) and start releasing it. You have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead living in you (Romans 8:11)! All you need to do is release it! You’re not trying to get more power of fruit in your life because in your spirit you already have it all. All you need to do is realize what you already have and let it out. It’s much easier to get something you already have than to try get something that you don’t have!
You are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus: God has worked on you through Jesus and His finished (completed work) which made you a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). You were “created in Christ Jesus” (past tense). God is not working on you anymore. You may not be acting right or living out your potential, but in your spirit you are perfect.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2 English Standard Version (ESV)
We tend to judge ourselves (and others) according to what we see and feel, while we ignore our true core – the spirit (2 Corinthians 5:16). As a believer, in your spirit you are perfect. God cannot work on you any further because you are a masterpiece. I understand that you may not act like it and you may feel otherwise at times, too, but don’t judge your spirit (the true you) according to who you act or feel (which are subject to change). When God sees you and judges you, He judges you according to Jesus and what He did for you (1 John 4:17). If you want the change that has taken place in your spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17) to start affecting your actions and your emotions, then you need to start changing how you think. If you can change your thinking, you will change your life. We are “transformed” by the renewal of our minds, in other words, changing our way of thinking. This is so important because the way we think in our hearts determines the way that we live – act and feel (Proverbs 23:7).
“Our faith in Jesus transfers God’s righteousness to us and he now declares us flawless in his eyes…”
Romans 5:1 The Passion Translation (TPT)
God is not working on you. In fact, He sees you as flawless! You are complete and perfect in Him! He’s not nit-picking at you and trying to work on the flaws that you see in you – nope! But God has set things in motion so that His power in you is at your disposal, and ready to go to work to bring any transformation that you need in your life. It’s up to you to work on you, and you do that by responding to God by changing your thinking and seeing yourself the way He sees you.
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